The Harper Girls wants all women to be the best version of themselves, and live their best lives. And that doesn't mean dressing like us, or doing your makeup like us, but instead figuring out what are the things that resonate most with you, and make you feel like the most confident, authentic version of yourself.

What was the inspiration to start this business?

My Grandma instilled a love of beauty in me from a young age. I remember her always having on nail polish, and wearing a lipstick that matched her outfit. I loved watching her put on makeup, and as I got older she would let me try too.

My Aunt had a similar experience with my Grandma and her love of fashion! My Grandma was such a strong woman, but also cared deeply for other people. I would like to think I got some of these traits from her too. After Grandma passed, Aunt Dianne never wanted to forget any of the lessons Grandma had taught her, so when she brought up the idea to me, I absolutely loved it. What better way to combine the things we love, and potentially help people in the process?

When you started your business, did you ever envision that you would be where you are now?

I tried to keep my expectations low when we first started, because I didn't know what people would think of an Aunt/Niece duo. But I'm so happy that people have connected with us, and felt that what we're sharing has resonated with them. We've had a chance to talk with some of these people, and love hearing about them and their stories.

Was there ever a time that things didn't fall into place, struggles, or challenges? What were they and how did you get passed it and grow from the experience?

Everything in life is a season, and the good is going to ebb and flow. We have a love for beauty and fashion, and careers in marketing, but there's a lot we had to learn and still need to learn to do. Like when I designed our logo and built our website! Plus, I'm a mom with a full-time job on top of running the blog, so time management and making sure I'm spending time on the things that matter has been a learning experience.

What was the biggest lesson you learned while starting and growing this business?

Be consistent and be patient. To think when we hit publish on our first post that followers would start flocking to us is unrealistic. We're doing our best to produce good content, and we're already seeing a big difference in just the past year of our writing and photography.

What would you tell a FEM that is struggling in her business and feel like it's too difficult?

When anything in my life is feeling difficult, like I'm slogging through it, I take a step back and try to look at the bigger picture. What's actually going on here, and where are the issues popping up. When you have that bigger picture first, now you can identify the smaller things to work through. Solving problems feels more manageable when you know what they are and what they need to do. Rather than solve one problem and be surprised with another one you didn't know was waiting to pop up.

What continues to inspire you to keep on growing your business?

Having the opportunity to meet and connect with new people, and to hear their stories. If something I've said, or something I've shared has helped someone's life be even 1% better than the day before, that's a huge win for me!

Final advice for those thinking of starting a business or looking to grow their current business?

Just start! And it's ok to start small. Start with what you know you can handle, and slowly but surely add more and more as you feel comfortable. It's scary to start, and maybe it could fail someday, but what if it doesn't? Years from now you could be wondering why you were so scared in the first place.

Website: http://www.theharpergirls.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theharpergirls

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harpergirls/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-harper-girls/